【VG】 Live Report | Umbrella acoustic oneman live “Amayadori”

On June 23rd, umbrella held their first acoustic one-man live at Minamiaoyama future SEVEN.For the band, June is a special month, as it is the month they held their very first live as a band.This year on this special month, instead of their usual style, they chose to perform total of 15 songs in an acoustic style.

As the lights dropped, the SE started with the sound of rain, gradually turning into rhythmic beats that filled the venue. Drummer Sho, bassist Hal, and guitarist Shu appeared on stage one by one to take their positions, faintly drawing out the sound of their instruments in a brief, final sound-check. When vocalist Yui appeared last, the stage fell silent for a moment and with the count of ‘One, two’ by Sho, the band started their show with “Keihaku no hito”.

Sho’s hands danced rhythmically on the Jambe (West African instrument), as Hal lightly strummed the beats on the four cords of his bass. As he wasn’t part of the rhythm team, Shu concentrated on the melody, the resulting blend of acoustic sounds of the instruments seemed to emphasize the painfulness of the song through Yui’s soothing voice.

The well-balanced guitar sound was also present in the acoustic style used for the next song of the set “Kazamidori”, followed by a gentle “Requiem”, song from their first mini-album. The sound released from Shu’s guitar wove a gentle and soft impression into the venue’s atmosphere. After “Tsuki,” one of their classics that features an impressive chorus, the band had their first emcee.

Shortly after the band thanked the audience for coming to their first acoustic one-man, the venue erupted with laughter when the members joked that the date of their first live is their password for their safe. On a more serious note, the band commented that they will plan some event for every June for fans to look forward to in the coming years.

Before they resumed their live with “Hi [jou] kaidan”, Yui reminded the audience, “ It’s the rainy season now, but I think it is a fun season. I hope this season reminds you of us when you take out your umbrellas.”

The cozy atmosphere that had been created changed at once as the venue was painted red and the sound of the Jambe roared like a thunder. Gradually the rhythm picked up pace, followed by the harsh strum of the guitars that left an impression like an intense rainstorm in the venue. Once the storm had calmed, the following “Bokutachi ga egaita panorama”, brought a feeling of a warm sun shower, mixed with a melancholy mood of both sorrow and strength. The heavy sound of the rhythms and the breathy vocals of “Wasurenagausa” spun a different story before transitioning smoothly into the following “ Ito .“ where Yui’s sorrowful yet amorous voice filled the atmosphere. The sounds of the instruments were so powerful that they made one forget that it was an acoustic live.

As the lights dimmed, the spotlights turned to focus on the guitars for “Binetsu,” which started off simply with the vocals and guitar before the other instruments trickled in. The somewhat fragile yet beautiful sound of the guitar was reminiscent of the feeling of sadness that is often represented with a downpour of rain.

However, the atmosphere shifted to take on a heavier tone as crimson lights once more flooded the venue for the following “Witch?”. The acoustic rendition presented that night was a fresh and unique take on a normally guitar-intense composition.

In the second emcee of the day, the members discussed this year’s goal, all of them adding in their own cheerful comments as they talked about how they want more people to see umbrella. Yui also mentioned that they are currently working on some new songs, confident they will be able to play them in the near future. This piece of news was especially well-received by fans.

When the show resumed,“Zoukei Alice” (from their single “Alain” released in February) was played followed by a rhythmically stylish “Toumei.” During the songs, the members didn’t let the physical limits set by an acoustic stage keep them from entertaining their audience. Instead of using large gestures to get the crowd riled up, the members kept the atmosphere more relaxed with subtle actions like shared smiles between the members as well as with their fans, in addition to the musical presentations such as Shu’s blistering acoustic guitar solo in “Skyfish.” The last song of the main set was the refreshing and high-spirited “Alain”. Featuring a joint members’ chorus, the upbeat tempo and melody gradually had the audience swaying along to the song. Yui urged the audience to sing with them, and gradually the crowd added their voices to the cheerful tune.

After a brief emcee to share information of their upcoming live schedule, the band gave a last encore with a repeat performance of “Tsuki”, re-introducing it as a song that is personally important to them as it is a piece that represents ‘their roots’, and so will continue to perform as they grow as a band. As the last notes faded, umbrella’s first acoustic live came to an end.

In one of the emcees in the main set, Shu said, “We have met many people and received a lot of feedback from them, and so this year we would like to share the results of the things we’ve learned.” Setting expectations high, umbrella will continue to venture forth with their enthusiasm to future activities.